Synopsis: Yakuza boss Anjo has seemingly gone missing with 300 million Yen (roughly $3.2 million). Because of the extreme physical punishment that only Anjo could mete out, his sadomasochistic underling, Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano), goes on a tortuous rampage in search of him. Unbeknownst to Kakihara, boss Anjo is already dead; under the direction of a mysterious old man named Jijii (infamous Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto), Anjo has already been brutally murdered by a sexually awkward and cowardly manchild named Ichi (Nao Ōmori), who, when agitated or goaded enough, flies into fits of sobbing, murderous rage. Subject to Jijii's scheming, both Kakihara and Ichi come closer and closer to confronting each other, while, of course, taking out a few people along the way.
Thoughts: All I can say about this film is WOW. I've never been a big fan of manga (Ichi The Killer was adapted from one) or anime, but I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that this adaptation is just as graphic as anything you'd find in either one of those two mediums. Ichi The Killer pulls absolutely no punches, and its mean-spiritedness and excessive violence would make any jaded gorehound cringe (there's one scene in which Kakihara cuts off a part of his tongue as an act of penance for rashly going after a member of a rival gang in his search for Anjo that will have almost everyone lifting their hands to cover their eyes).
But, what exactly, besides the gore, makes this film so good? There are so many things right with Ichi The Killer: the pacing is excellent, the acting's superb, and the odd physical attributes of the main characters (Kakihara's slit cheeks, Jijii's bodybuilder physique, and Ichi's rubber roiller-derby looking attire and bladed shoes) only add to this film's disturbing quirkiness. Ultimately though, Ichi The Killer's greatness lies in its refusal to give its characters any redeeming qualities, thereby forcing the audience to see exactly how fucked up and maladjusted these characters are.
In my opinion, visceral violence and sexual dysfunction in Japanese cinema represent the soul-shattering effects of the nuclear attacks of World War II. I am in no way, shape, or form arguing against the use of atomic weaponry in World War II here; rather, I am asking you to think about the devastation the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki caused for Japan, no matter how "evil" they were during this time. Just think about it: not only did these bombings have immediate and long-term physical effects on the Japanese people, but they also caused Japan to prostrate herself before the Allied Powers and accept the humiliation and guilt that came along with utter defeat.
Embracing such a condition is no easy task for any country, let alone any individual. Thus, such films as Ichi The Killer and those of Shinya Tsukamoto use violence as a means to communicate the psychological and spiritual oppression still felt by many men in Japan. Successfully inflicting violence upon someone brings with it a sense of mastery, which, in turn, gives men the feeling of self-worth that is necessary for them to perform well sexually.
That such powerful Japanese shock cinema as Ichi The Killer is being made less and less by the year is both good and bad. It's good because it possibly represents the end (or at least the lessening) of the strong feelings of inadequacy and shame that have seemed to plague postwar Japan. On the other hand, it's bad, because Japanese shock cinema has, as a result, turned into kitsch (maybe we should thus think of it now as Japanese "schlock" cinema).
Verdict: If you're over 18, I highly recommend that you get yourself a copy of this film (or, get it from Rapidshare or from a torrent). I can't praise this films enough. Also, if you like Ichi The Killer, I also recommend that you take a look at Shinya Tsukamoto's Tetsuo.
